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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23730442">True Intentions</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/morgan_donor/pseuds/morgan_donor'>morgan_donor</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Pennywise (IT), M/M, No Smut, Reddie, Teenage reddie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 23:34:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,376</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23730442</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/morgan_donor/pseuds/morgan_donor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Richie finds an unlikely friend, Connor Bowers, Eddie begins to question the true intentions behind the friendship.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     Eddie’s fingers tap against the desk. His left-hand fidgets with a pencil as he tries to think of something to write. Think, think, think… It shouldn’t be this hard, but of course, the boy was not creative enough to be writing poetry. With a groan, he slouched back in his spinning chair, letting it twist his body around a few times.</p>
<p>     “What the fuck am I supposed to write about?” Eddie mumbles to himself, a headache beginning to rise. Another groan leaves his mouth. It seems to be the only sound he is able to produce these days.</p>
<p>     Eddie’s hand lowers, reaching into the small pouch on the fanny pack that rests on the desk. He pulls out a bottle of aspirin, tossing two into his mouth. Eddie reaches for his water bottle, taking two big gulps to swallow the small pain relievers down.</p>
<p>     “Damn headache. All because of a stupid English assignment…” His eyebrows furrow at the thought. Was it something other than the homework? Eddie takes another sip from the water bottle, wondering if dehydration was the cause. Another swig, and another, until his bottle, is empty. He tosses the plastic into the trash barrel beside his desk, too lazy to recycle it downstairs. Besides, he’d have to encounter his mother if he went down there right now. He scrunches his nose, rubbing a palm over it before slouching further into the seat again.</p>
<p>     Poems weren’t <em>that </em>hard to write. All they are are words, any words. Didn’t matter if it made sense or not. But Eddie needed perfection. He needed the rhyme scheme to be pleasing to read and see. He needed the right words. No, first he needed something to even write about.</p>
<p>     Eddie’s eyes dart to the digital alarm clock perched upon his desk, the time changing to 6 o’clock. A smile grows on the boy’s lips as he remembers that Richie would be getting out of work soon. And since it was a Saturday, Eddie would only assume that Richie would come to pick him up for the two to hang out.</p>
<p><em>     Write the poem about him, </em> Eddie’s mind wanders as he thinks about Richie. That was a terrible idea. It wanders more as he imagines what Richies’ poem must look like. He could see it now.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> Roses are red, </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> Violets are not, </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> I fucked your mom, </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> Shit, she’s so hot. </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>     The thought makes Eddie laugh to himself. Richie could do better than that, though. Eddie spun in the chair again but stopped, getting too dizzy from even a couple times around. He steadies himself on the desk, letting out a puff of air. His eyes dart to the clock yet again, disappointed to see that only five minutes had gone by since he last checked it. Why did time have to move so slow when he was waiting for something?</p>
<p><em>     Should I text him? </em> Eddie thinks as he picks up his phone from the desk, using his thumb to unlock it. It opens straight up to Eddie’s messages with Richie, the last thing he was on. It had been a few hours since he had last texted Richie and the other boy hadn’t responded yet. Eddie reads over the messages, smiling to himself as he sees Richie’s way of texting. All lowercase letters, terrible grammar, and constant misspelling was what made Richie’s texts. Despite all the errors, Richie was actually a great writer. Eddie always had Richie check over his papers before handing them in. </p>
<p>     Eddie held the phone, his thumbs hovering over the keyboard as he thought of what to type. He felt strange double texting, but he was sure Richie wouldn’t care. </p>
<p><em>     “Wanna do something once you’re out of work?” </em> The text sends through and Eddie stares at his phone, his face lighting up as he sees those three dots in the bubble appear moments later. They hover for a second and then disappear, making Eddie wonder what Richie was doing. He was at work, so his manager could have caught him on his phone and made him put it away. </p>
<p>     To Eddie’s delight, the bubble pops up again, this time followed with a message. </p>
<p><em>     “hell yeah!!! i’ll probably get outta here soon. bang at my house?” </em> Richie sends, the typo making Eddie’s face get hot. Another text appears right after.</p>
<p><em>     “HA hang* my bad :p see ya soon eds.” </em> Eddie lets out the breath that he was holding in, laughing a bit. He knew that’s what Richie meant, but the typo was still floating in his mind. He quickly types his response. </p>
<p><em>     “Yes, see you soon. Don’t call me Eds.” </em> He sends and puts his phone back down, letting his head rest against his desk. He should probably tell his mom that he’d be going out, but he didn’t actually care about that much. He’d find a way to get out of the house even if she gave him a hard time. </p>
<p>     Eddie stood up from the desk, stretching his legs a little as they had gotten stiff from sitting down. He steps over to the full body mirror that is hanging on the back of his closet door. He was wearing gray sweatpants and a random hoodie. With closer examination, he notices a small stain on the chest and grimaces, pulling it up and over his head, tossing it into his hamper. He wanted to look better than this when he was hanging out with Richie. If they went out in public, that is, he wanted to look presentable.</p>
<p>     He opens the closet, shuffling through a few hangers of shirts, finding a white long sleeve shirt with roses that run down the sleeves. He tosses off the plain t-shirt that he’s wearing and switches it out for the long sleeve. He tugs his sweats off after, folding them neatly and putting them on top of his bed for pajamas. He does the same with the t-shirt before going to the dresser. He pulls the middle drawer open and pulls out his overalls, slipping them on and buckling only one of the straps, letting the other hang loose. Richie said that looks cool, but Eddie couldn’t stand the asymmetrical straps, so he buckles both of them.  </p>
<p>     He walks back over to the mirror and smiles at this new reflection. He leans down and cuffs the bottoms of the overalls, grabbing his gray converse and tying them. </p>
<p>     As Eddie looks himself over once more, he hears his phone buzz from his desk. He moves quickly, elated to see that Richie had just got out of work and was on his way. </p>
<p><em>     “Okay, I’ll wait outside.” </em>Eddie sends back. He grabs his fanny pack and drapes it over his shoulder. He was always teased for wearing it around his waist, so he opted for a more trendy look. It was more comfortable this way. </p>
<p>     The boy moves swiftly down the stairs, making sure his steps don’t make so much noise. Just as he is stepping onto the last stair, the floorboard creaks, causing Eddie to flinch.</p>
<p>     “Eddie-bear, are you done with homework?” Sonia calls out from her recliner in the T.V. room. </p>
<p>     “Uh, yes?” Eddie says as he steps into the room. He hadn’t meant to end that as a question, but he was terrible at lying. Hopefully, she would believe him. </p>
<p>     Sonia looks up from her iPad, her eyes glancing over Eddie.</p>
<p>     “Going somewhere?” She says and Eddie nods. It probably wouldn’t be the best idea to say who, but Eddie knew she wouldn’t let him leave without knowing every detail. </p>
<p>     “Yeah, Richie,” He pauses, thinking fast. “Richie and Stan are coming to get me. We were gonna go to Richie’s and watch a movie. </p>
<p>Sonia looks skeptical for a moment but then nods, holding out an arm, signaling to Eddie that she wanted a hug. </p>
<p>     “Come gimme a hug and kiss, Eddie-bear, before you leave.” Eddie steps closer at her request and leans over, hugging and kissing her cheek. </p>
<p>     “I want you home no later than 10 pm, you understand?” Sonia says in a stern voice. </p>
<p>     “Yes, Mommy,” Eddie says, his voice quieter now, as if worried someone would hear. </p>
<p>With that, Eddie was finally free for the next few hours. He opens the door and closes it behind him, sitting on the steps as he waits for Richie to pull into the driveway. </p>
<p>     Richie whips into the driveway five minutes later, music blasting from inside. Eddie shook his head, hoping the T.V. was too loud for Sonia to hear the profanity pouring from Richie’s speakers.</p>
<p>     Eddie stands and walks to the car, chuckling as he sees Richie inside, bobbing his head and singing along to the lyrics of the song with a big goofy grin on his face. Eddie reaches for the handle and opens the door, sliding inside. </p>
<p>     “Eddie Spaghetti! Missed me?” Richie shouts over the music and Eddie turns the volume down. </p>
<p>     “Don’t call me that. And no, I did not miss this much obnoxious energy.” Eddie says, making Richie scoff, pretending to be upset. </p>
<p>     “Whatever, I know ya missed me. Almost as much as I missed your mom last night. Speaking of which, she home tonight? I’d love to give her my McDi-” Richie tips the McDonald’s hat that is sitting on his head, laughing as he’s interrupted by Eddie. </p>
<p>     “Oh my god, just drive already before she hears you, loudmouth!” Eddie raises his voice a little, making Richie laugh again before putting the car into reverse. His hand holds onto the back of Eddie’s seat as he turns to back out. He pulls out and starts to drive, one hand on the wheel and the other resting on the middle console. </p>
<p>     “So, make any progress on that poem?” Richie glances at Eddie and back at the road. Eddie stays silent and then runs a hand down his face. </p>
<p>     “No, not really. I can’t think of anything to write about.” Eddie replies and Richie shakes his head. </p>
<p>     “You’re thinking too much. You’re too analytical. Ya gotta get outta that head of yours and into a chill one.” There was a pause before Richie spoke again.</p>
<p>     “I know that’s hard for you, though.” He teases and Eddie rolls his eyes, his arms crossed. </p>
<p>     “Easy for you to say, your head is already empty.” Eddie teases back, though he knew how untrue that was. Richie was smarter than people gave him credit for. </p>
<p>      The rest of the car ride was mostly quiet, aside from the music playing from the speakers, just soft enough that Eddie could hear Richie singing along under his breath. The boy’s fingers tap against the steering wheel as he drives, his head bobbing along to the song. Eddie rolls his eyes as the next song starts up, the lead singer of ABBA begins to sing. Richie chuckles as he hears Eddie groan. </p>
<p>     “Is Abba really in your playlist? Seriously?” Eddie comments, his arms crossed and his head turned to look at his friend. Richie shrugs and laughs at Eddie’s disgust.</p>
<p>     “I barely listen to them! It’s just this one song, I swear.” Richie flicks the blinker on and turns onto his street. Eddie scoffs, mumbling under his breath. </p>
<p>There was only one other car in the driveway and the house lights were off when Richie pulled in, meaning the two were home alone.</p>
<p>     “Date night,” Richie comments on the lack of cars in the driveway. The two climb from his own car and walk inside. Richie turns the lights on and kicks his shoes off haphazardly. Eddie follows behind, sliding his own shoes off and placing them beside each other on the mat beside the door. </p>
<p>     “Want somethin’ to drink? We got fireball, vodka, tequila, the list goes on!” Richie spoke as he walked into the kitchen. Eddie follows close behind, wringing his hands as he looks around the house he had been in so many times before. The Tozier household was always kept neat and clean, though Eddie knew that was not because of Richie. </p>
<p>     “Oh shut up, your mom would kill you if she found out you were drinking.” Eddie adjusts the strap of his overalls, climbing onto a stool that was in front of the kitchen island. Richie nods in agreement. </p>
<p>     “You’re right, which is why we do not speak of last week at Bev’s house. Besides, I’m sure my mom’s reaction would be nothing compared to the fit your mom would throw. Imagine if she found out her precious Eddie-bear was drunk?” Richie laughs at Eddie’s apparent frustration. He opens his fridge and takes out two water bottles, the condensation drips off them and onto his hand. Eddie huffs and watches a drop of water slip from Richie’s fingertips and onto the kitchen tile. He blinks out of his trance and looks back up at Richie. His eyebrows were furrowed and a frown was turned on his lips.</p>
<p>     “I barely even drank,” Eddie was pouting now and Richie couldn’t help but coo at this. </p>
<p>     “Yeah, you barely drank and we <em> still </em> had to keep you from getting naked, ya damn lightweight.” Richie snorts a little from the memory. Eddie’s embarrassment only grows as he rolls his eyes at Richie. It was the first time he had drunk, what had they expected? Besides, he was persuaded into doing it. Richie was taunting him the whole time until he had finally drunk some of the concoction that Bev had made. It was a sweet drink, and as concerned Eddie had been about just <em> how </em> sweet it was, he didn’t care about that after two cups. </p>
<p>     Wiping away a fake tear, Richie takes a deep breath to calm his laughter. Eddie’s arms were still crossed as he mocks Richie under his breath.</p>
<p>     “Phew, that was a good night. Even Stan drank! I mean, not enough to get drunk but at least he was havin’ a good time.” Richie walks over and leans against the island and slides a water bottle across the granite top to Eddie who, to Richie’s surprise, manages to catch it. </p>
<p>     Eddie’s cheeks began to turn red as he remembered that night. The whole group was at Bev’s to watch a movie. It was a rare occasion since her father was strict about who was over. He had been out for the night, so Bev had the boys over. She had managed to sneak some alcohol from her dad and it led to a pretty crazy time. Stan was the only sober one by the end of it and drove everyone home. Eddie had ended up sleeping over Richie’s house that night. Sonia would have flipped if he came home drunk. Richie took care of him for the rest of that night.</p>
<p>     Eddie sips his water in hopes to cool down his face. He wipes the small drops of water off his lips with the sleeve of his shirt, slouching over the tabletop now. His legs kick gently, not touching the ground from the height of the stool. </p>
<p>     “It was fun, but we could’ve been caught! I mean, god forbid Beverley’s dad came home and found us all there drunk? I’ve never met the man but from the stories, we wouldn’t have left alive that night if he caught us.” Eddie leans back again, his posture much more straight as he begins to fret about something that had already happened. </p>
<p>     Richie sips his own water and rolls his eyes as he places it back on the table. He screws the cap on and listens to Eddie talk about all the things that could’ve gone wrong that night. Finally having had enough, Richie interrupts Eddie. </p>
<p>     “Eds, none of that is gonna happen cause that night already happened. We all left alive, see? Here I am, in the flesh!” Richie takes a step back as he speaks, gesturing to himself as if he had to prove to Eddie that he was alive. </p>
<p>     Eddie runs a hand down his face in frustration. He didn’t care if anything he said didn’t actually happen, it was the risk factor. If he knew his friends, then he knew that something like that was bound to happen again, and eventually they would get caught. And then he would be the one to stand triumphant and say that he told them so. </p>
<p>     The two argue for a few more minutes before finally deciding on something to actually do. They headed upstairs to Richie’s room, the aforementioned disaster zone, and fell onto the bed. The room wasn’t as bad as Eddie thought it would be, but it still wasn’t up to his standards. Richie had a pile of clothes in the corner, his dresser drawers were sticking out and there were empty coke bottles and candy wrappers littered on the floor and his desk. Eddie had no clue how Richie kept so slim while also eating like a pig. </p>
<p>     Richie leans against the headboard, grabbing the remote to his T.V. off the bedside table. Eddie grimaces as he watches the other swat off a Reese’s cup wrapper to get the remote. </p>
<p>     “How can you live like that?” Eddie comments and looks at Richie. The boy’s eyes met Eddie’s and he shot him a cheesy grin, shrugging. One arm rested behind his head, the other holding the remote to the T.V. as he turned it on. The two’s eyes left each other, but Eddie was still watching Richie. </p>
<p>     He was a slob, and if it was anyone else, Eddie would have never even stepped foot in the room. Richie was different. Eddie couldn’t explain it. </p>
<p>     “Whatcha wanna watch?” Richie’s voice shakes Eddie from his mini daydream. He backs up and leans against the bed board, matching Richie’s position. </p>
<p>     “I’ll watch anything,” Eddie spoke and immediately regretted what he said as Richie pulled up the worst movie he could find. </p>
<p>     “By ‘anything’ I did not mean the live-action <em> Cat in the Hat </em>.” Eddie shoots Richie a glare and Richie fakes a pout. </p>
<p>     “Fine,” Richie whines, dragging the word on. </p>
<p>     After some debate, the two finally decide on a movie, though they barely paid attention to it. A few movies and a few arguments later, Eddie and Richie had slouched further onto the bed. They had settled into watching The Office by 9 o’clock. Richie was barely paying attention to what was going on as he scrolled through his Instagram explore page. Thirty more minutes pass and Richie glances down at Eddie. The boy had tossed his fanny pack off and was curled up with one of Richie’s blankets. Richie snickered, sitting up a bit more and snapping a picture of his friend.</p>
<p>     He goes to send it to their group chat, which was appropriately named “Losers club,” but he hesitates. He deletes the image from the text box and glances back at Eddie. He wasn’t sleeping in a weird position or making a funny face, he just looked...peaceful. </p>
<p><em>     Cute. </em> Was Richie’s first thought. Eddie looked <em>cute. </em>His lips were parted slightly, soft breaths leaving his mouth as he slept. His hand was gripping onto Richie’s blanket, the other stuck up straight under his head. His legs curled up closer to his chest. Richie’s eyes traveled over his sleeping friend once more before he pulled his gaze away, looking back to his phone. </p>
<p>     He let Eddie sleep, looking over as he watched him move a bit, wondering if he would walk up soon. He didn’t want to be the one to pull him out of dreamland. </p>
<p>     Another hour passes, Richie’s parents arriving home. His mom popped her head into the room but kept quiet as soon as she noticed Eddie sleeping. She smiled and waved to Richie instead, blowing him a kiss.</p>
<p>     “Sleeping over?” She whispers to her son and Richie nods. He didn’t think Eddie would be waking up anytime soon. </p>
<p>     “I’ll message his mom,” Maggie adds, knowing how Sonia was. She smiles and blows a kiss to Richie, leaving the room and closing the door carefully, </p>
<p>      Richie didn’t mind sharing a bed with Eddie, his queen size mattress fit them both easily. He just wished he could get Eddie into more comfortable clothes than his overalls. If Eddie woke up, he would offer him some sweatpants. </p>
<p>     Two more hours and Eddie was still out cold. Richie was now laying down completely, the T.V. turned off and his phone placed on his bedside table and plugged in. Richie pulls a blanket over himself, covering up to his chest. He stares up at his ceiling, counting the glow-in-the-dark stars that were scattered across it from when he was younger. </p>
<p>     It was normal to think your friends were cute. He thought Bev was cute, and even Stan could be cute from time to time. Richie didn’t think about that usually. He thought Eddie looked cute while he was sleeping, and that was his own mind producing that thought. </p>
<p>     Richie closes his eyes tightly as his mind swarms with these thoughts. He had a long day at work, his brain was just saying random things. Yeah, that was a good enough excuse. His mind became so cluttered with his worries that he thought it would be impossible to fall asleep. He takes a deep breath and pulls the blanket up higher, turning onto his side so that his back was facing Eddie. </p>
<p><em>     Sleeping in the same bed as another boy? Wow, Richie, I guess you don’t care if anyone knows your little secret. </em>Richie’s face goes red and he feels his head start to pound. He just needed to calm down. Another deep breath and then another, until finally, he managed to control his thoughts. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i hope the people who read chapter one enjoyed it enough to read chapter two! there will be more chapters to come, so stay tuned if you like the story so far :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>     Richie’s eyes open as a ray of sun peeks it’s way through his curtains. He squints, irritated by the light. In his attempt to pull the covers over his head to block the rays, he felt some resistance. Eddie had pulled the blanket tightly around him, his knees pulled to his chest as he slept. Richie glances over his friend once before letting go of the blanket, allowing him to use it all. The now wide awake boy sits up, being careful not to move too much while climbing from the bed. He didn’t want to wake Eddie up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     Richie stretches his arms above his head, his jaw falling open and his nose scrunching in a long yawn. Squinting, he finds his glasses on his desk and puts them on. He’d put his contacts in later, but for now, he’d just wear the thick frames around his eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     He wasn’t sure what to do while Eddie slept. He didn’t want to be too loud or do anything that might wake his friend up, so he left the room to take a quick shower. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     While Richie was climbing into the shower, Eddie was beginning to wake up. He shifts in the bed and rolls over a bit, a soft whine leaving his mouth. Next, a groan escapes as the sun hits his eyes, similar to what happened to Richie. The half-asleep boy slowly sits up, rubbing at his eyes with his fists. Another groan passes his lips as he glances around Richie’s room. He knew where he was, but he wasn’t quite sure where Richie had gone. Upon further investigation, Eddie hears a faint sound of a shower being turned off. His eyes move to the bedroom door a moment later as the knob twists. Richie enters seconds after, a towel wrapped around his waist. His hair was damp, a few water droplets across his shoulders and chest. Eddie looks at Richie and Richie does the same to the other. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Mornin’ Eds, sleep well?” Richie speaks first, walking over to his dresser and pulling out an outfit to change into. He holds the towel around him securely, unbothered by Eddie being there in the room. It wasn’t much unlike Eddie seeing him in a bathing suit. Eddie looks away from his friend, ignoring the fact that Richie picked up a shirt from the ground and sniffed it before putting it with his outfit. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Yeah, wish I hadn’t slept in overalls though,” Eddie laughs softly as he looks down at himself. They were on the looser side, fortunately, so they weren’t too uncomfortable. Richie turns back to Eddie and laughs as well. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “I was gonna wake you up to have you change, but you just looked too damn cute to disturb. It was like having a princess sleeping next to me,” Richie pauses as he watches Eddie’s face turn to a scowl. He continues, wanting to annoy Eddie more. “I thought I’d have to give you a kiss to break the curse or somethin’,” Richie laughs, dodging the pillow that is hurled at him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Shut it!” Eddie shouts and Richie only laughs more, shaking his head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Whatever, Eds, I’m gonna get changed, be right back.” Richie steps out of the room again, once again leaving Eddie alone in the bedroom. The boy lets out a small sigh, standing up and picking up the pillow that he had thrown and placing it back on the bed. He wasn’t sure it would ever leave the ground again if he hadn’t picked it up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     Eddie didn’t wait long for Richie before the other reentered the room, now fully clothed. Richie had dressed in a plain white tee, tucked into a pair of black skinny jeans with rips up the legs. A worn leather belt was woven through the belt loops and tightened around his thin waist. Over the white t-shirt was a black Hawaiian shirt, adorned with a tropical flower print. The shirt was unbuttoned and flowed over Richie’s body. He had swapped his glasses for contacts, which makes Eddie scrunch his nose. He liked Richie’s glasses, but his friend had stopped wearing them out as much after an incident with the Bowers gang</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     They had been 13 at the time, and Henry gave Richie a pretty bad blow to the face. His glasses snapped and one of the lenses broke. Richie was badly bruised around his eye after that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     Eddie wondered if that really was the reason Richie had stopped wearing his glasses, but he didn’t want to ask. He wasn’t sure Richie would wanna talk about that day. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Oh, my mom told me Sonia called the house three times already, you might wanna check your phone,” Richie tells Eddie with a sympathetic smile. Eddie groans and pats his pockets until finding his phone tucked away in his fanny pack. Surely enough, his phone had been overwhelmed with texts and calls from Sonia. He sighs softly and glances at Richie who was fixing his hair in a small mirror sat on his dresser. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “I’m calling my mom, don’t make a sound,” Eddie speaks in a stern tone, knowing Richie was infamous for being loud while the gang was on the phone with their parents. Richie glances over and nods. He purses his lips together and drags his fingertips across as if he was zippering them shut, twisting them after to mimic a key. Eddie rolls his eyes and calls his mother. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     The phone barely even gets a ring in before Sonia picks up on the other line. Richie has to cover his mouth as he can hear the familiar shout from over the phone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Eddie-bear! I was nice enough to let you sleepover since Mrs. Tozier called me, but I would prefer you to be home now, please get here soon, okay?” Sonia speaks and Eddie presses his lips firmly together. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “I’m sorry, I’ll be home as soon as possible, I promise,” Eddie says, knowing it’s easier to agree and comply than to argue. Sonia sounded pleased enough. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “I’ll see you soon, then! I love you Eddie-bear.” Eddie hesitates before replying to this.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “I love you too, mom. Bye.” He hangs up before she can get another word in. He tosses his phone back into his bag, not wanting to look at it for now. He stares at the bag for a minute before his attention is drawn back to Richie. The boy was smiling at Eddie with an all too familiar mischievous grin. His eyebrow is raised a bit and Eddie furrows his own eyebrows back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “What’re thinking right now,” Eddie asks, knowing Richie was planning something.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Wanna go get breakfast?” He asks and Eddie groans, letting out a fake laugh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Ha-ha, very funny, do you want me to be murdered by my mom?” Eddie stands from the bed, adjusting his overalls and slinging his bag over his shoulder. He turns and faces Richie who was leaning with his hip against his dresser. Eddie lets out an exasperated sigh. “I have to be home soon.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     Richie didn’t like the sound of that, it was still Sunday after all and he liked to make the most of the weekend before going back to school. He pushes himself away from the dresser and opens his bedroom door, stepping out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “You’re right, we should get you home.” He smiles at Eddie, motioning with his head for him to follow. Eddie was skeptical of this, but followed anyway. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     The two put on their shoes at the door, saying quick goodbyes to both of Richie’s parents who were sitting on the couch beside each other. Eddie said thank you to them for having him and then they were out the door. Richie takes fast steps down the front stairs, his black curls bouncing gently on his head. Eddie walks down them slower, but still trying to keep up with Richie. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     Once inside the car, Richie connects his phone with the auxiliary cord and starts his car playlist. The two don’t talk much, but the silence isn’t uncomfortable. In fact, Eddie loved it. He always loved when he didn’t have to talk to fill any awkward tension. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     As Richie drives, Eddie watches out the window, looking at the houses and streets passing. He sees his own street but is struck with confusion as Richie drives right by it. His head shoots over to the driver who was singing softly to the song that was playing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “You missed my street, Richie,” He says and Richie glances into the rearview mirror, clicking his tongue. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Huh, I did.” He looks at the road again, a small smirk on his lips. Eddie frowns and lets out a heavy groan. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Richie, if I’m not home soon my mom will never let me hear the end of it. You’re already on thin ice with her, this might cross the line and then we’ll never be able to hang out again. Plus, I’m the one who will have to deal with her when she gets mad-” Eddie speaks fast, his hands moving and gesturing as he explains all this. Richie had heard this all before. He pulls his right hand from the steering wheel, slapping it gently onto Eddie’s knee, rubbing it with his thumb. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Eds, take a deep breath and just try and enjoy this beautiful Sunday morning, ‘kay?” He pulls his hand away once he hears Eddie pull a deep breath into his lungs. Eddie continued to pout, crossing his arms. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Where are we going, anyway? It better be worth it.” He looks at Richie, waiting for his answer. The other shrugs, chucking softly to himself. Eddie rolls his eyes and looks back out the window. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     A few minutes later, Richie pulls into the parking lot of Dolly’s, the diner in town. When you lived in a small town like Derry, it was hard to find a good breakfast place close by. Dolly’s was always there when you were sick of cereal or overcooked eggs. It was a hot spot for teenagers, too, with cheap prices and that vintage feel. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      Eddie couldn’t help but smile as Richie parked. He loved Dolly’s, he used to come here all the time when he was younger. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Hope you’re hungry,” Richie says, turning the car off and tossing the keys into his pocket. The lanyard attached hangs out of his pocket, swinging lightly as he walks. Eddie climbs out and catches up with Richie, walking beside him now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “We haven’t been to Dolly’s in a while, the whole gang,” Eddie mentions as the pair step into the building. Richie nods, agreeing with Eddie. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Yeah, we should come here more often,” Richie says as he glances at Eddie, looking at the hostess. She wasn’t much older than the two boys, probably just a year below them. Her hair was a dark brown and was tied up in a neat bun. An apron was tied around her waist and a soft smile was on her face. Richie flashes her a charming smile and she smiles bashfully back. Her tanned skin seemed to tint red. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Just the two?” She asks in a smooth and sweet voice, Richie nods. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Yup, just me and Eds here. He’ll take a kids menu, if you don’t mind. He gets grumpy when he’s hungry and likes to color to calm down.” Richie leans into the small podium as he speaks, whispering loudly so Eddie can still hear him perfectly. The hostess giggles, glancing down at the two menus she held in her hands. Meanwhile, Eddie was standing behind Richie, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. Richie looks back at his friend and flashes him that same smile, making Eddie want to slap him across the face. He didn’t, though, and instead follows behind him and the hostess as she leads them to a small two-person booth. She places the menus down as the boys take their seats, walking away swiftly after. Richie can’t help but laugh as he pulls the kid’s menu out from under one of the adult menus. A small pack of crayons accompanied the menu. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Oh, man! She actually gave us a kids menu, that’s awesome,” Richie laughs again and opens the pack of crayons. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “You’re such an ass, Richie, she probably thinks I’m a weirdo now.” Eddie slouches back in the booth and Richie knows he has to settle him down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Don’t get grumpy with me, I was just making a joke. She knew I was joking, now look at the menu so we can be in and outta here.” Richie picks up the menu and glances it over, Eddie doing the same now that he was calmed down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     The waitress had come and gone and the boys knew exactly what they wanted once she arrived. Richie ordered an omelette, stuffing it with as many toppings as he could, and an orange juice. Eddie got the french toast with the strawberries, accompanied by a glass of chocolate milk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>    The food came out pretty quick and eventually, the check followed. The waitress places it in front of Richie, and the boy thanks her. He opens the blackbook and places his debit card in it, handing it back to her before she can step away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “How much do I owe you?” Eddie asks and Richie shrugs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “It was free,” Richie says with a smirk. “I think it’s ‘cause-a how cute you are, Eds,” Richie laughs and Eddie scoffs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “C’mon, tell me how much I owe you before I slap that smile clean off your face.” Eddie threatens and Richies laughs more, shaking his head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Try’n reach me, shortstack, you’d barely even reach!” Richie spits back, making Eddie roll his eyes. The waitress comes back a moment later, handing Richie his card and a pen. He signs it with practically perfect cursive. He covers the price and shows Eddie his signature. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “See that? Been practicing for when I’m famous. Chicks will line up for miles just to get their boobs signed or whatever.” Richie places the slip back down and stands up from the table. Eddie follows suit. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Famous? Famous for what, being the world’s worst comedian?” Eddie smirks a little and Richie clutches his heart, pretending to be hurt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Oh, Eds, that hurt, you don’t think I’m funny?” He asks with a pout as the two start to head for the door. Eddie elbows his arm gently. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Shut up, idiot,” He laughs softly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     Richie smiles at the hostess and waves at her quickly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “See you in Calc tomorrow, Katie,” Richie says and winks at her, making her entire face burn red. She mutters a small “good-bye,” though Richie can barely hear it as he turns away and walks out of the diner with Eddie. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     Eddie glances over at Richie, confused, </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “You know her?” Eddie questions and Richie shrugs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Yes, and no. She’s in my Calc class and her name is Katie, that’s about all I know.” Richie climbs into the car and starts it. Eddie buckles himself in. The two sit in silence as Richie scrolls through his music to find a song. Eddie kicks his legs gently. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Do you like her?” Eddie asks, glancing at Richie. The other looks back at Eddie and chuckles. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “I barely even know her,” He responds. Eddie nods, unsatisfied with that answer but decides not to push it. The two didn’t really talk about crushes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     Richie finally found a song, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Holocene </span>
  </em>
  <span>by Bon Iver playing. The music was soft but filled the silence well. Richie drove to Eddie’s house, turning onto his street and into his driveway. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>     He puts his car in park, looking over at Eddie and smiling. Eddie smiles back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Thanks for breakfast, I owe you one,” Eddie speaks as he unbuckles. Richie shakes his head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Nah, you don’t owe me anything.” Richie’s smile could brighten anyone’s day, Eddie thought. It always brightened his mood. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “I’ll see ya later, Eds,” Richie adds, unlocking his door for him. Eddie nods and swings it open, climbing out. He laughs softly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “That’s if I’m still alive after my mom beats me.” Eddie jokes and Richie laughs back. Eddie closed the door after and made his way to the front door, taking a deep breath. He didn’t want to go inside. He glances behind him, giving Richie another half-hearted smile as he realizes he won’t leave until he’s inside the house. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>     Scared, Eddie-bear? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Eddie shivered at the thought. No, he wasn’t scared of his mom, he thinks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>     Sure about that? Why’d you ruin your time with Richie if you’re not scared? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Eddie frowns and pushes the door open, stepping inside, finally hearing Richie’s car back out.</span>
</p>
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